Dodgers left field battle - Jerry Sands is hitting just .176 through Thursday, but he may be still alive considering Juan Rivera is at just .200 himself. Rivera though has popped three home runs and he has the $4.5 million contract, so barring a big-time Sands hot streak, Rivera should be in line to start on Opening Day. Sands could still make the team as a platoon partner for Andre Ethier and James Loney while spelling Rivera on occasion. It was reported back in November that Sands was the preferred option, but he's going to have to earn his at-bats by performing well this spring. Sands batted .367/.433/.633 in 60 at-bats versus southpaws, so although that's a limited sample size, it's possible he could be thrust into a platoon role to break into the big leagues. Sands though hit .342/.415/.493 in 73 at-bats against both-sided pitchers last September, so he may very well be ready to handle regular at-bats.
Giants first base job - Brandon Belt is off to a .333/.379/.630 start, and that includes a pair of home runs in 27 at-bats. His competitor, veteran Aubrey Huff, is hitting .280/.333/.520, so we don't yet have a clear-cut winner. The Giants could also choose to slot Belt in the outfield where he would replace Nate Schierholz as a projected starter. Schierholz is off to a .286/.318/.333 start. Coming off a year in which Belt batted an eye-popping .320/.461/.528 line with a 47:48 BB:K ratio in the minors, he's clearly the guy with upside.
Giants shortstop job - It's a bit of a surprise that the Giants didn't bring in a mediocre veteran such as past imports Edgar Renteria and Miguel Tejada, so Brandon Crawford has the job all to himself. Crawford batted just .204/.288/.296 in his 196 at-bats with the Giants last year. Crawford is a solid defender, but from a fantasy perspective, he offers little power or speed, and he also hit just .224 in his handful of Triple-A at-bats last year. Should he fail, Giants fans have the likes of Ryan Theriot, Mike Fontenot, and Emmanuel Burris as potential replacements. We have to think this is a position the Giants could address via trade at any point.
Padres bullpen - Huston Street is the undisputed closer, but at some point, he's going to be on the trade block (again), as the Padres are in a perpetual rebuild. Should Street find himself in uniform #3 this year, the closer job will again be up for grabs. Luke Gregerson appears to have the inside track for now, but after three seasons of being one of baseball's best setup men in 2008-2010, Gregerson fell back dramatically last year, posting a 5.5 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9, metrics that were as good as 11.2 and 2.1 in his recent heyday. If you're looking for another option, Andrew Cashner has been getting a ton of buzz in Padres camp, tossing four scoreless innings and dialing his fastball into the upper-90s. Cashner is also a candidate to be moved to the rotation at some point, leaving Ernesto Frieri and Brad Boxberger as other options. I'd certainly look to target Cashner in NL-only formats, particularly if you're a Street owner.
Arizona outfield - We know that Justin Upton is locked in for regular at-bats, but that about Chris Young, Jason Kubel, and Gerardo Parra? Given Chris Young's defensive prowess in center field (UZR/150 had him as the second best (behind Jacoby Ellsbury) defensive center fielder in baseball last season, he's likely to see regular at-bats, likely leaving Parra as the odd man out considering Kubel was handed a $16 million contract this winter. That of course is grossly unfair given Parra batted .292/.357/.427 while winning a Gold Glove. In fact, it has to make one wonder why Kubel was signed in the first place. Parra might find his way to 300 at-bats, but barring a trade, his value is clearly suppressed.
Arizona #5 starter - Josh Collmenter is slated to open the season in the rotation, but he's already allowed six runs in four innings this spring amidst reports of a sore forearm. The soreness has subsided, but the talk that Trevor Bauer could supplant him in the rotation as early as Opening Day has not. Bauer has allowed just two runs in seven innings with a 7:1 K:BB so far this spring, so on performance alone, he's already the better option. The Dbacks could choose to delay his free agency a year and hold him in the minors until sometime in May/June, but it's not going to be too long before we see him. Bauer was drafted out of UCLA #3 overall in 2011 and has just 25.2 innings of professional experience (impressive 45:12 K:BB), but he's polished and just about ready to contribute.
Andy Pettitte, NYY - He's back. Andy Favre..err Brett Pettitte has agreed to a one-year $2.5 million deal to unretired. Outside of Albert Pujols signing with the Angels, this was the biggest surprise of the offseason to me. Pettitte, assuming he's in shape and effective, will join a rotation that includes CC Sabathia, Hiroki Kuroda, Michael Pineda, and Ivan Nova. This isn't good news for the fantasy prospects of Freddy Garcia and Phil Hughes, as the Yankees have already said Pettitte would not be placed in the bullpen assuming he makes the team. Given that today is March 18, it's unlikely Pettitte would be ready until around May, though he's reportedly been working out hard this offseason. Garcia has looked good this spring (4.50 ERA and 7:2 K:BB in eight innings), as has
Hughes (1.08 ERA, 5:1 K:BB in 8.1 innings), so figure once Pettitte is ready, look for Garcia to be traded with Hughes shipped to the bullpen.
Corey Hart, MIL - Good news on Corey Hart Saturday, as the Brewers outfielder appears well ahead of his expected recovery time. Hart had knee surgery on March 6 and is taking part in "baseball activities" already, so there's a possibility he could be ready for Opening Day. Hart has seen his stolen base totals drop from the 20s to the single digits the last three years, but a .285/.356/.510 line with 26 homers in 492 at-bats is still a very good season. Hart also saw his EYE increase from .32 to .45 year over year, so there's good reason to expect a similar season in 2012.
Alex Gordon, KC - The Royals are using Gordon in an unusual way this spring - in the leadoff slot. He's not your prototypical leadoff guy in that he isn't a burner and he has some pop, but so far this spring, Gordon has a .310/.394/.621 batting line. Gordon's career high in HR is 23 (last year), and at 28, he could take that next step and pop 30 in 2012 to go with 15-20 steals. At some point I think Lorenzo Cain will lead off, allowing the Royals to use Gordon in a run-producing spot.
Jacob Turner, DET - Turner is all but out in his quest to win the Detroit fifth starter job, as he's been dealing with tendinitis in the shoulder and doesn't seem likely to return in time to get enough innings. Turner also allowed six runs in 1.2 innings in his last start, so he's probably best off opening in Triple-A and taking a spot once he's healthy and there's an opening. It will come down to Duane Below, Andrew Oliver, Drew Smyly and Adam Wilk for the final spot, with Oliver likely the favorite due to his seven scoreless innings and left handedness. Turner meanwhile is still a guy to target in keeper leagues, as he was a former top-10 pick who reached the big leagues at the age of 20 last year.
Alexi Ogando, TEX - Despite an impressive first season as a starter in 2011 (3.51 ERA, 95 mph average fastball, 6.7 K/9, 2.3 BB/9), Ogando will be opening the season in the bullpen. Matt Harrison is going to be the team's No. 5 starter, though he could be on a short leash. In theory, Ogando could find his fantasy value greatly enhanced if he sticks in the bullpen, as Joe Nathan is no sure thing to stay healthy for the entire season. The Rangers also have Mike Adams as a potential closer as well. Ogando is a late bloomer, but with excellent control and a mid-90s fastball, he has solid fantasy upside as either a starter or closer, but for now, that upside is limited as a setup man.
Nolan Arenado, COL - By all accounts, Arenado has impressed the Rockies management this spring, this despite going just 4-for-24 with three doubles this spring. Arenado doesn't turn 21 until next month and he's yet to reach the Double-A level, but after batting .298/.343/.487 in the Cal League and then winning MVP honors in the Arizona Fall League, his prospect status has soared. The Rockies signed veteran Casey Blake to keep the spot warm, but Blake is already battling a neck injury and could be on the verge of having to retire (my speculation). Other unappealing options include Jon Herrera, Jordan Pacheco, and Brandon Wood, so Arenado's time could come soon.
Josh Donaldson, OAK - The "let's try this guy" experiment is still working, as Donaldson remains the front-runner to be the team's starting third baseman this year. Donaldson is batting just .238 this spring, but he's being given a long leash since the injury to Scott Sizemore. Donaldson batted .261/.344/.439 for Triple-A Sacramento last year, which is unimpressive given the hitter's environment in the Pacific Coast League, though he did chip in 13 stolen bases. The rebuilding A's seem likely to give him a shot, but don't be too surprised if Donaldson soon finds himself sharing at-bats with the likes of Eric Sogard.
Yoenis Cespedes, OAK - Cespedes should be targeted early and often in keeper leagues, but according to GM Billy Beane, he's not guaranteed a spot on the Opening Day roster. Cespedes was 0-for-4 with a pair of strikeouts on Saturday, but is still a solid 6-for-16 this spring. He has to be a strong candidate to be in the Opening Day lineup given his $36 million contract, but a few hits over the next week or so would be comforting to see. Cespedes offers enormous raw power and upside, and could be a 20/20 guy this year, but his lack of plate discipline could limit his OBP upside to the .320 range.
Carlos Quentin, SD - Quentin will reportedly undergo knee surgery on Monday, a procedure that could knock him out until sometime in May. It's a big blow for his fantasy value (he was 8-for-15 this spring), but what are the other repercussions? Look for Kyle Blanks to get the first shot, even though he's hitting just .217 in 23 at-bats. Blanks batted .229/.300/.406 last year, but also tallied seven homers in those 170 at-bats.
Chris Johnson, HOU - The Astros' 3B situation is wide open, but Johnson has to be the favorite at this point. He doubled in two of three at-bats on Saturday to raise his spring average to .348 in 23 at-bats. He's coming off a disappointing season in which he batted just .251/.291/.378 in 378 at-bats, a season that also included an ugly 97:18 K:BB. Johnson showed some promise in 2010 when he batted .308/.337/.481 in 341 at-bats in Houston, but he dropped off big-time in 2011. Jimmy Paredes could be standing in his way, but Johnson looks to be in line to get a second and final chance at being a big league regular.
Ubaldo Jimenez, CLE - It's not been the best of springs for Jimenez, who allowed six runs on five hits over 3.2 innings Saturday against the Reds. That makes nine runs in 10.2 innings with a 10:9 K:BB so far this spring, so is there cause for concern here? Not according to Jimenez, who says he's always a slow starter, but if he struggles again next time out, it may be time to worry.
Eric Thames, TOR - Thames is battling Travis Snider for the left field job, with Thames the front-runner per GM Alex Anthopoulos. Thames is off to a 10-for-29 start with one home run, while Snider has gone deep four times with a .313 average. Snider has the bigger prospect pedigree as a first round draft pick, but he also has a minor league option remaining and he's failed so far as a big leaguer. This battle is far from over, but for now, Thames has the edge.
